She is at it again!

Like childbirth pain, marathon training torture is quickly forgotten. A few short months after the "why do I keep doing this to myself?" reality check, we start getting itchy and looking around for the next event. At the time we sign up we are so stoked and filled with images of muscular legs crossing through the finish line, that we forget how much discipline, dedication, and sacrifice training really is. Sigh.

I'm running the Santa Barbara International marathon on November 8th. I started my official training 5 weeks ago and this weekend I ran 13 miles. Half way right? I wish. This is just the beginning. From here on it gets tough, very tough. Unfortunately I'm not one of those incredible people who wing marathons. I believe in hard core training. And it's not just the weekend long runs. This is what my weekly workouts look like:

Monday: 5 x 800 (800 meters ran one minute faster than race pace which for me is 7:20 minute miles) plus strength training.
Tuesday: 6 mile run
Wednesday: 40 minute tempo run (in a tempo run one increases speed gradually until reaching close to 800m pace and then gradually decreases it back to starting) plus strength training
Thursday: Off (yay!)
Friday: 6 miles race pace
Saturday: 13 miles
Sunday: 4 mile run plus yoga

Mileage and intensity increases weekly. I haven't been able to do hill work but I will need to add that too. This week my body felt tired, very tired. I napped almost everyday (thank God for Summer vacation!). I'm also sleeping more at night which helps my body recover. I'm more focused on nutrition, getting proper fuel pre and post workouts and making sure I hydrate enough. All the while I'm working to lose 9lbs (I've already lost 9!). And it's tough eating less when I'm exercising more. I'm also more mindful of my alcohol consumption, especially before my runs. I'm committing myself to this training so I want to do the very best I can.

I will be reporting on my weekly runs for those who care to follow. I'm currently working on 2 major goals:

1) increase speed (hence all the speed work and the weight loss goal)
2) remain injury free

This is currently my favorite post long run snack. Happy weekend everyone!




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Moving on

I thank God for a wonderful breastfeeding relationship with both my children. I was blessed to have abundant supply and few delivery issues. Isaac weaned himself at 13 months and I gently weaned Andrea (2.5yrs) over a period of six months. We were down to one nursing a day and this week we dropped it. I believe she saw it coming and was understanding. I hugged her, looked her in the eyes and said: Andrea, you are a big girl and mama loves you very much. "Boo-be" is all done. She smiled, said "Nah" but didn't fight back. We embraced and she hasn't asked since. I was ready and I believe she was too.

We are officially on to a new stage... Seeking independence and wanting to do everything her brother does.









And realizing that many things are out of our control




But life is very exciting! I'm loving being your side kick Andrea :)


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Good bye Jeans

I have made the decision to retire my jeans. Along with a bikini, blue eye shadow and navel piercingly, some things aren't meant to be forever. I am not making this choice out of a moment of frustration after a 20 minute battle with the zipper. Quite the contrary. I make this decision when my favorite size 2 Lucky jeans fit better than ever (thank you squats!).

I never really liked jeans. I got on board with the trend because I felt like I had to. Slacks and skirts were too dressy and sweats and shorts too casual. Dave is a jean lover so every time we went out he felt underdressed. So I caved. I found a great pair of jeans that I've owned for 6 years. Yes I only have one pair. I wore them out of necessity but I never felt quite comfortable in them. I never felt feminine or sexy either. And I questioned that they were ever appropriate attire for anything. After kids my body took a different shape and I liked them even less.

I held on to them out of spite. I wanted so desperately to fit back into them, I felt like a failure if I didn't. I cried when I looked at them yearning for my pre pregnancy body. I hated having them as an "option" to wear because they really weren't. Even when they zipped I felt like an overstuffed sausage in them. And yet, I was still determined to get back in them. And I did. And now I can happily let them go.

Good bye blue jeans! You were never meant for me.

Skirt lover

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20 years

This Summer marks the 20th anniversary of my running journey. I will spare you the math but I have easily covered over 20,000 miles of terrain and I'm not stopping anytime soon.

Here is how it all began...

I was an active child, always riding my bike, playing with the street kids and involving myself in many informal games of volleyball, basketball, tag, or whatever else was the hype du jour. I also enjoyed dancing and jumping rope. But running just to run? Not so much. Boring? Well, lets just say that my streets weren't exactly running friendly (small sidewalks and streets covered with rocks). We did plenty of running, we just didn't call it that. My parents always modeled active lifestyles and we all seemed to enjoy the physical and social aspects of exercise.

The Summer before my senior year in high school I was struggling with body image. Hormones and mom's cooking played a double on my weight and though I wasn't really overweight, I didn't feel good about myself. I tried unsuccessfully to cut my calories but I ended up eating too much of what I now know where the wrong foods: low fat, high carb foods and tons of fruit. There was also a lot going on in the home realm: Transitions, school and work demands, sister marrying, parents separating, etc. I have always loved food but I did a fair amount of comfort eating. Food became a control factor and my weight the scapegoat to my home problems.

One hot Summer morning my mom walked into our small and steaming hot living quarters and told me that I should go for a run. I laughed. I was already sweating, what more did she want? But she told me that a friend of mine (Maria) was at the school track every morning running laps. I should join her, she suggested. I didn't immediately but eventually I did. We ran laps together and developed a very close relationship. I continued to run throughout the Summer and by Fall I joined the cross country team. I loved running. Well, I loved the feeling after a good run but I didn't exactly enjoy running. Running has a long enjoyment curve. Side stabbing pain and difficulty breathing are just two of the many ills of the sport. I stuck with it. I was the worst runner in the team, a very humbling experience, but I was part of the team.

Running helped me cope with the many pressures of school and home life. I ran in 100 degree weather, in the rain, I passed out twice while running, I came in last, almost always, but it was mine and I didn't do it for anyone. I joined track and field in the Spring almost by default because everyone in the CC team did. It was tough. I wasn't fast but I endured so I ran the 800, mile and 2 miles. By this time I had started to enjoy running. The body ailments were getting better, I had dropped weight which helped my speed, and my friends were very encouraging. I loved the experience. I even ran on weekends by myself. I discovered my determination and my strength through running. I gained confidence. I wasn't about to stop.

The following 5 years were dark, very dark. After graduation I fell into a serious clinical depression that almost took my life. I only survived because I knew that my mom and sister depended on me. I worked a lot, slept little and coped with my mysery by engaging in destructive binge eating behaviors. I don't want to share details. It still hurts. I didn't run much during these years. Arrhythmia, anemia, and low blood pressure kept me away from the sport. I rode my bike a lot because it was my only method of transportation between jobs (I had 3 at the time). But I didn't feel or look healthy. Faith and prayers kept me going.

The turn of the century brought many changes. I got fired from one of my jobs and was forced to find a different type of employment. I got a car and a desk job and I was suddenly faced with a lot of time in my hands (the desk job payed more than my other 3 gigs together). I began running again. I ran in my lunch break, after work, on weekends, and whenever else I could. It was my escape. Life at home was still challenging so a run was always the perfect excuse to escape. I also began frequenting night clubs, just to dance. A friend of mine and I partnered up (no romantic attachment) and we opened and closed the dance floor every single time. Neither of us drank so it was cheap to go. Often we got in for free as well. Running and dancing helped me jump start my recovery.

On New Years Eve of 2001 I met Dave while visiting in San Francisco. I was a different person by then, confident, healthy, and independent. He fell in love with all of that, and I fell in love with him too. We were married a year later. I moved to the Bay Area after our wedding and got another desk job within weeks of moving. I continued to run during lunch breaks, after work or whenever I could. Dave and I also enjoyed hiking together and we did it regularly. We have proudly conquered the tallest peaks in the contiguous US. Running gave me the base conditioning for our long hikes.

In 2008 Dave and I ran the SF marathon together, his idea. We trained in 4 months and the non-runner husband of mine out ran me on race day. He hung his shoes after that event but I continued to run. I ran through both my pregnancies, completed a half marathon at 5 months pregnant and a full marathon at 8 months post partum. A month ago I ran my first long trail run, a 30k and finished 2nd in my age division. I'm training to improve my speed so I can someday qualify for Boston. Running is where I find myself, where I draw my confidence, and where I gain valuable life lessons. I hope to pass this gift onto my children.

Happy 20 years!




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My heritage

I was invited to a birthday celebration yesterday for a dear Friend who is also Mexican. I haven't had so much fun in a while. It made me realize how much I miss my family and our own celebrations. This party made me feel right at home and for that I am very thankful. I was surrounded by women who discussed child rearing quirks in a Mexican family; women who weren't afraid to be loud and boisterous after a few drinks; strong women with opinions and attitudes. And no one was judging. I haven't had this feeling in a long while and it was awesome!

Some of the best memories I have of family are of being all together, singing, playing guitars, dancing, laughing, and enjoying each others company. This could go on until the late hours of the night and no one seemed to mind. Food was always abundant and tequila (or wine for me) helped everyone lose their inhibitions so even the non dancers danced, the not talkative gave great speeches and the stoic showed a bit of emotion. That's what I call a good party. No regrets. Ever.

I don't get to enjoy these family gatherings very often. In fact, our family rarely gets together anymore, which is sad, but such is the course of life. So I yearn for time with them again, to be together, to enjoy their presence, to learn from them, to be annoyed by their all too familiar characteristics. I hope that my children grow to love this part of their heritage, but I fear that we are much detached from it so they will never appreciate it the way I do. But I am motivated to expose them whenever possible so that they can decide for themselves. What's not to love about being Mexican :)


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The life of a mama

Before I had children I didn't know.. (You may fill in your own blanks)

Anything about myself
I still don't (know anything I mean)
I could have so much and so little patience
I had so much pent up anger
How to enjoy life
And hate it at times
How much emotions scare me
How emotional I can be
How much I value silence
How much I love my children's laughter
That I hate drawn out exits
That my children have their own timeline
That I need lots of personal space
That I love cuddling
That my confidence would soar
That guilt would overshadow it
That my life could be so full
And yet so lonely
That I could love so much
And gain so much
If I could just relax and enjoy the ride...







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2014 Cinderella Trail Run (Mothers Day)

Race recap: Read bullets for summary, a more descriptive translation follows

Favorite things about this race (in order of priority):

1. Location--30 minute drive from my house
2. Course! The course travels through beautiful Joaquin Miller Park to Redwood Regional Park with spectacular views of the Oakland Hills and Bay Area along the way.
3. Cost--$50 for a 30k, cheapest race I've done so far and best served. Hello hamburgers and beer at the finish!
4. Challenge--Trail running is NOT the same as road running and this was my first longish trail run.
5. Date--Perfect excuse for being gone for the first part of the day. Great weather!

Things I would have done differently:

1. Different shoes--I decided to wear my oldest and most worn out running shoes...bad idea! I knew after eating dirt on the first downhill that I was ill-fitted for this run. Trail running shoes are a must!

2. Less ambitious goals--being my first long trail run I should have signed up for the half marathon not the 30k.

3. More downhill training, on trails, not roads--think running uphill is hard? Try running downhill on a trail and see how fast your face lands on the gravel.

Ok, so now for the interested I'm going to provide the most detailed description I can. My brain is still foggy so I may miss a few things but I will do my best.

The race started at 8am sharp. Check in was a breeze, there were plenty of volunteers and a small crowd (a nice plus of trail races, they can be small).

We tackled our first set of hills and my legs thanked me for having done hilI training. I started passing a few runners, some men, and I was able to actually run the uphills (in trail running many runners walk the uphills). By mile 4 I hit my first major downhill and I ate dirt. Yes sir I did. I got up gracefully and decided I was going to walk the downhills, very carefully, if I wanted to finish this race alive. You see, I chose the wrong shoes because I didn't want to ruin my new pair in the mud. Wrong! I should have chosen safety over vanity...oh well.

I remembered from the map that mile 8 was the beginning of the steepest hill so at around mile 7 I ate/drank/swallowed my first gel. Good choice! Check out that hill...woo hoo!





It was a killer! And I ran most of it, slowly. During this stretch I "teamed up" with a group of runners who would zoom by me on the down hills, and then I would catch up on the uphills. Yes it was a huge boost of confidence.

By about mile 12 and with just a little over a mile to go I contemplated stopping at the half marathon mark. It was way too tempting and I dwelled on this thought for a while, but I didn't. I passed the "finish" line and I kept going for the rest of my 5 miles. For a moment I thought I was lost. No runners in sight so I retraced my steps about 500 yards until I met up with some ultra marathoners (crazy people!) who assured me I was on the right path. So I added about a mile to my course, oh well.

The last 5 miles weren't too bad. My right knee was angry but my stamina strong. My legs were ultra wobbly so I slowed down the pace (better shoes would have been nice here!). 2.5 miles to go and I thought: Lucia, you got this. Enjoy the rest. And I did. I finished in 3 hours and 52 minutes, and I came in second for my age category. It was a small race so no huge bragging points here but I felt great!

Last thoughts:

I'm hooked on trail running
Trail races are "chilled." They are mostly on an honor system. There is plenty of opportunity to cheat on your distance, but you only cheat yourself.
I like running with people but I also enjoy running alone--a lot! :)
Need to train on trails. Even though I've done some hill training, my stride is conditioned for roads. I've learned to "glide" when I run and this is it good for trail running.
I like points to point races. There is psychological defeat when I have to repeat the same course twice.
No, I didn't have a hamburger, or a beer, but it was nice that they were available.

See you next year!

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